Benitez May Have Given Up On Grant Hanley

There was news today that Newcastle are likely to move in with a third offer for Blackburn center-back Grant Hanley, after two previous bids had failed.

But there is news tonight that maybe Newcastle have given up on the 24 year-old Scottish International, who Blackburn manager Owen Coyle seems unwilling to sell.

It seems that Sheffield Wednesday have entered the fray and are also vying for the 23 times capped International, but it could be that Rafa has decided to move on to other targets, with Blackburn continuing to play hardball with their captain.

Grant Hanley – have Newcastle given up the ghost on this 24 year-old?

Blackburn are said to rate Hanley at around £6M and Newcastle have reportedly already offered £4.5M, so we are not too far away from Rover’s valuation on the player.

But this deal has been dragging on for over a week now and it would not surprise us too much if Rafa has decided to move on to other targets.

Rafa allowed Fabricio Coloccini to leave the club last week to join San Lorenzo and he has not yet been replaced the former Argentine International and it could be that Rafa thinks we need a new center-back brought in rather quickly.

Middlesbrough’s Daniel Ayala has been a target and Rafa signed for Liverpool when he was an 16 year-old youngster from Sevilla back in 2007.

But he’s rated at around £15M with only one year left on his contract with the Smoggies – and if he doesn’t sign a new deal he could become a free agent next summer.

Newcastle have been linked with 24 year-old QPR center-back Steven Caulker who may be more expensive than Hanley and Tom Lees of Sheffield Wednesday is another player whose name is now being linked with Newcastle.

Lees is 24 and joined Wednesday two years ago from Leeds United and has played 6 times for the England U21 side.

Over the last two seasons has played 91 times for Wednesday with 3 goals and in the three seasons before that he played 135 times for Leeds United – most of those in the Championship.

So that’s 226 appearances for Tom over the last five seasons with 202 of those being in the Championship.

Burnley are also said to be looking at Lees with their excellent 23 year-old center-back Michael Keene possibly leaving the club this summer with Leicester one club interested in signing him.

We have also been linked with Derby County’s Richard Keogh in the past and he played well for Ireland in the Euro 2016 Championships in France and Newcastle could have him in their sights too.

To be honest i think Newcastle should try and sign Blackburns other center back Shane Duffy, who also played for Ireland in the European Championship recently in France, he is really good in the air, and on the ground, and is so dangerous at corners and set peices, in my view he is a much better all round defender than Grant Hanley.

Time to move on. I’m with welshgeordie. The sooner we can get another CB in the better. Rafa needs all the time he can get to get the squad used to one another. In my humble opinion we still need the following.
2 Centre Backs to replace Collo & Taylor. A quality attacking left back. A proven striker and maybe a left winger.
Then is any players leave like Siss, Jam Win they need to be replaced. The squad as a whole needs to be stronger in numbers than last season. The money we would get from any more sales can easily be used to strengthen the squad. This season has the potential to give NUFC the kick up the ar$# it needs. Then next season (hopefully) RAFA will be in a strong position to take NUFC to the next level. Come on MA and Co this is the best chance we have right now to DO IT RIGHT!!!

I would definitely take Shane Duffy over Keogh. Although Keogh is dedicated, not afraid of a tackle, and pretty decent in the air, he can get caught out of position a lot, and indeed is poor with the ball at his feet.

Duffy is great in the air, strong in the tackle, has better positional sense than Keogh, and is alright for CB with ball at feet. Let’s not forget that he would be a big presence for attacking corners!

In honor of two dedicated Newcastle fans, who lost their lives supporting Newcastle United.

Their passenger jet was shot down over Ukraine on Thursday July 17th, 2014 by rebels, as they were traveling to support the team in New Zealand.

We will never forget them.

Health Update - 4 Aug, 2016

The good news last week was that after more blood tests my PSA count is still undetectable

This means the prostate cancer is still under control, and there is no trace of it in the body.

Now to be even more vigilant so I can see the Rafa Benitez project come to its fruition over the next few years - wouldn't want to miss that.

Howay The Lads!!>

Ed Harrison

What Is A Football Club?

What is a club in any case?

Not the buildings or the directors or the people who are paid to represent it.

It’s not the television contracts, get-out clauses, marketing departments or executive boxes.

It’s the noise, the passion, the feeling of belonging, the pride in your city.

It’s a small boy clambering up stadium steps for the very first time, gripping his father’s hand, gawping at that hallowed stretch of turf beneath him and, without being able to do a thing about it, falling in love.